Are Online Degrees Just as Good as Others?

June 23, 2012

3 min read

It seems that now more than ever more people are pursuing an online degree. Whether it’s due to a change in career or to add more credentials to further ones career, an online degree is more convenient to attain then taking time off to go back to a traditional four year school. Are online degrees just as good as traditional degrees when it comes to job employment? There are a lot of online programs out there offering fast track degree programs, but many can be fake. This is what makes employers skeptical when it comes to accepting online degrees.

If you’re looking to pursue an online degree, look for one that is being offered by a reputable institution. A red flag that you are about to pay for a fake degree is if the institution doesn’t have any campus locations. If the institution only has a post office number or suite number then you should know that this school is a hoax. Make sure that the accrediting agency of your institution is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. How quick can you earn a degree? If the program offers a full bachelors or master’s degree in a matter of a few months then this is also a red flag.

Once you have weeded out all the fake online degrees, you can pursue a degree at an accredited institution which is just as good as a traditional four-year or two-year school. A great advantage of online learning is that it offers adult students the chance to work at their own pace given their busy schedule, and they can seek out help and advice from professors and advisors through email or phone instead of driving all the way to campus. A high level of discipline is needed since there is no set schedule on when to do coursework, and adult students must learn to be motivated.

Employers are beginning to recognize that many people are too busy to go back to traditional school, and online learning is a better alternative. Online degrees demand just the same amount of time and work as a traditional degree would. Therefore, employers recognize that your option to seek an online degree isn’t out of laziness. Online classes demand self-motivation and show employers you’re driven and know about time management. Gaining skills like that will make you a better candidate for any job.

Employers look for the national recognition of the program, the value of its graduates and the accreditation of the college or university. If you’re enrolled in a nationally recognized program with a high ranking at an accredited institution online then you’re education is just as valuable as someone who did the same program at a traditional school. Although learning online and learning face-to-face are two different forms of learning, in the end you learn the same subject and the same set of skills. We live in a technological world and as more people turn to online degrees, more employers are accepting them.

Hanna Guerrero

Hannah is an intern writer here at Spark Hire. She is from the northern suburbs in Chicago and is currently studying journalism at DePaul University. She has always had a passion for writing which is why Journalism has proven to be the perfect career for her. She has written for the DePaulia Online on various topics such as fashion, music, movies and television. She loves living in Chicago because it offers exciting events to write stories on. In her free time she enjoys going to music concerts, watching movies with friends, cooking vegetarian food and walking her adorable Cocker Spaniel Coco.

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